GARDEN variety
Garden of Hope: The first work day is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 12 at a new community garden behind Snohomish Church of the Nazarene, 1017 13th St. Work will include building raised garden beds. High school students needing service hours are encouraged to participate. Garden of Hope, slated to open May 9, will be a place for families and the community to come together, learn healthy dietary habits and grow fresh produce. In addition to helping people grow their own food, growers are asked to give 10 percent of all produce to the local food bank. Garden beds will rent for $35 for the season, plus a $15 refundable clean-up deposit. Reserve a raised garden bed by emailing garden@snonaz.org.
Evergreen Awards: Mountlake Terrace is accepting nominations for its annual Evergreen Awards that recognizes property owners who take great care of their properties. There are five categories: best maintained residence, best maintained business, best maintained multifamily property, most sustainable property and best transformation. Nominees are judged against properties within the same neighborhood: Cedar Terrace, Gateway, Lake Ballinger, Melody Hill, Cascade View, and Town Center. Anyone can submit a nomination and property owners may nominate their own home or business. Since last year’s program was postponed for budgetary reasons, all 2015 nominees will be considered this year. Nomination forms are at www.cityofmlt.com and at city facilities. Accepted through May 28.
Scholarship: Monroe Garden Club is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a high school senior or a college student pursuing a career in some aspect of horticulture at an accredited college or trade school. Studies may include forestry, botany, landscaping, floral design, etc. Applicants must reside in or within approximately 20 miles of Monroe. Deadline for application is May 1. For more information or an application, call 360-217-8417.
La Conner Daffodil Festival: For events and activities, go to www.lovelaconner.com. Keep track of daffodil, tulip and blooms at www.tulips.com/bloommap or call the La Conner Visitor Center at 360-466-778 for updates.
SHOWS
Everett Home &Garden Show: March 11 to 13, Xfinity, 2000 Hewitt Ave., Everett. Hours are noon to 7 p.m. March 11; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 12; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 13. Cost is $6.75. Free for 16 and under. For more information and discount coupons go to www.everetthomegardenshow.com.
Classes and talks
Rain Garden Workshop: 11 a.m. March 12, Brier Library, 23303 Brier Road; 425-483-0888. Led by Derek Hann, engineer with the Snohomish Conservation District, who helps private homeowners install rain gardens and rain barrels on their properties.
Natural Yard Care Classes: King County is partnering with the Snohomish Conservation District to offer a class on creating a healthy, sustainable landscape. It’s a hands-on workshop for people who are new to the concepts of natural yard-care practices. Watering Wisely: Tips on reducing water use and building rain barrels ($25 fee for materials if you wish to build a rain barrel), will be from 10 a.m. to noon March 12. The class is at Brightwater Center, 22505 Highway 9 SE, Woodinville. For additional information, call 206-263-8856. To register, go to http://bit.ly/1njgiEC.
“What I Have Learned in 65 Years of Gardening”: Talk by Ed Hume, 7 p.m. March 14, Snohomish Senior Center, 506 Fourth St., Snohomish. Presented by Snohomish Garden Club. More at www.snohomishgardenclub.com.
Compost: Talk by Don Bailey, of Bailey’s Compost in Snohomish, Monroe Garden Club: 12:30 p.m. March 14, Monroe United Methodist Church, 342 S. Lewis St. Donations for the Sky Valley Food Bank are accepted. Call 360-863-6160, for more information.
Backyard Habitat 101: Learn how to create a backyard habitat 7 p.m. March 16, Camano Multipurpose Center, 141 N East Camano Dr. Whether you live on a small lot or acreage, you can design a visually pleasing yard with native plants that invite birds, butterflies and other wildlife to call your yard home. Presenter Monica Van der Vieren, native plant steward, is carrying out habitat restoration on a 100-year-old farm in the upper Snohomish River Estuary and has given landscaping for wildlife presentations and workshops for the past 11 years. The Camano Wildlife Habitat Project hosts public presentations the third Wednesday of the month. For information, call 360-387-2236, go to www.camanowildlifehabitat.org or email camanowildlifehabitat@gmail.com.
Camano Garden Club: 2016 season begins on March 17 with a 1 p.m. presentation on orchard mason bees, 1243 Beach Drive, Camano Island. Talk by Mary Archambault, who has 40 years experience in the nursery business as an owner, master gardener and radio host. Learn how to attract these gentle bees to your garden for better fruit production. Cost is $5; free for garden club members.
SALES
Edible Plant Sale: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 12, Rainier Beach Urban Farm &Wetlands, 5513 S. Cloverdale St., Seattle. Free. Organically, sustainably and locally grown veggies, herbs, edible flowers, fruit shrubs, fruit trees, seeds and supplies. Sale includes easy-to-grow plants for beginners and exotic, rare and heirloom plants for devoted gardeners or foodies. Earlybird sale is 5 to 6:30 p.m. March 11; tickets are $25 as a fundraiser to benefit Seattle Tilth’s educational programs. People who volunteer for this event get in for free. More at www.seattletilth.org.
Edible Plant Sale: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 30 and May 1, Meridian Park, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N, Seattle. Earlybird sale is 5 to 7 p.m. April 29; tickets are $25 as a fundraiser to benefit Seattle Tilth’s educational programs. More at www.seattletilth.org.
Series
“Growing Groceries Education Series“: Classes on growing your own food. Classes are 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays, WSU Snohomish County Extension’s Cougar Auditorium, 600 128th St. SE, Everett, inside McCollum Park.
March 16: Good Bugs, Bad Bugs, &Pollinators. Learn who’s who and how to attract the good guys.
April 6: Seed Starting &Growing Transplants. Save money and raise the varieties that do best here.
April 20: Weeding and Watering. Get smart about weeds and water; save time, harvest more.
April 27: Growing the Heat Lovers in the Chilly NW. Learn the tricks to growing ripe tomatoes, peppers and melons.
Register online at GrowingGroceries.BrownPaperTickets.com. For more information visit snohomish.wsu.edu/growing-groceries, call Kate Halstead at 425-357-6024 or email khalstead@wsu.edu.
Sustainable Gardening Winter Speaker Series 2016: WSU Master Gardener Foundation of Snohomish County. Lectures are 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Fridays at Mukilteo Presbyterian Church Social Hall, 4514 84th St. SW, Mukilteo. Single lecture tickets are $20 at the door on a first come/first served basis the day of the lecture. More at www.gardenlectures.com. Speakers are:
March 11: Ciscoe Morris, “Everything’s Going to Pot!”
March 18: Colin McCrate, “Maximizing Your Yield: Increasing Efficiency and Productivity in the Home Vegetable Garden.”
April 1: Emily Bishton “Wildlife-Friendly Gardening for Beauty and Sustainability.”
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